Testimonials

My name is Amanda De Torres and I am a former POP student from the March Prep Course. When I first approached the program, the main problem that I had was with managing my time during the test and finding resources to learn the tricks, skills, and strategies I needed to know to improve.  I knew I wanted to score high enough to qualify for Florida Bright Futures, and I knew taking this course was my ticket to getting the highest score I was capable of. 

My older sister was a previous POP student, and encouraged me to take the course, telling me how much it improved her math score when she needed it most. My experience was just as good! The tutors at Peace of Pi teach and explain thoroughly and clearly, preparing students with everything they need to ace the SAT. 

Virtual learning isn’t usually easy for me. Often, I get easily distracted or don’t grasp the full idea of what I’m learning. But this course changed everything! I learned so many skills and strategies on things that I had forgotten or didn’t know, all while being engaged and focused in the comfort of my own home. I also liked the group learning experience because it wasn’t too large. I felt like everyone had the same mindset in mygroup and needed help on the same problems as me, which made us feel motivated and supported by each other.

Peace of Pi helped me get to a place I didn’t even know I was capable of achieving. In the end I got a 710 in my math section! This score reduced a lot of my stress for my senior year, especially since it helped me qualify for Bright Futures. Now, I don’t have to worry about studying for my SAT and can focus on the rest of my academic profile, all with the knowledge that I have the score I dreamed of!

My name is Carmen Beiner, and  I signed up for an SAT math prep course with Peace of Pi from March to June with one clear goal in mind – achieving a high SAT math score. Initially, I found it challenging to dedicate enough time to self-study and practice. This left me anxious about whether I’d ever get a score good enough to secure admission into the colleges of my choice.

Luckily, I knew someone who had great things to say about Peace of Pi, and their track record spoke for itself. So, I decided to give them a shot, and it turned out to be a decision that took me exactly where I needed to go.

The Peace of Pi team is so dedicated and on point. They challenge you, but it’s the kind of challenge that motivates you rather than overwhelms you. And the virtual learning experience was perfect. Everything was so easy to access, and it was super efficient. It was way better than I expected.One thing I really liked was the group aspect. I’m a competitive person by nature, so working with a group pushed me to give it my all. It created this environment where we could all learn together and cheer each other on, which was pretty motivating.

In the end, all that hard work paid off. I ended up with a score of 790! Now, I can focus more on the reading part of my SAT, knowing I’ve already got a great composite score with the help of my math scores. I can’t say enough good things about Peace of Pi!

My name is Moises Sutton, I’m in 12th grade and I attend Scheck Hillel Community School. To begin with, I already had a pretty decent SAT score. I wasn’t super stressed about it or anything, but everyone I spoke to was telling me that if I enrolled with Peace of Pi Learning, I could maximize my potential and get an even better score. 

That’s all it took to get me interested. I booked an information session with Renan, where I had a conversation with me and my mom about the structure of the course. At that moment I realized that this is a place that I need to be. Within the same week, we started working together and I started seeing improvements right away.

When I first took the SAT, I got a 590 on the math. I tried to study on my own for a good six to eight months, but I only got it up to a 650. That score was okay, but I knew with the help of Peace of Pi that I could take this to the next level.

I went from 650 to a 720 in the middle of the course. I had only done half of it and improved +70 points! I finished with a 770 by the end of the course. That’s +120 points in just a few months! Which is such a crazy improvement. I felt so accomplished.

I was already a pretty good math student, but I was never dedicated, or disciplined. I was taking Calculus AB at the time. It was so advanced and unrelated to what was tested on the SAT. I really needed a refresher. Peace of Pi didn’t just improve my math skills, but was able to instil me with a sense of discipline and motivation to get on top of my work. It helped me become a better math student, a better test taker, and a more well-rounded person in general. 

Peace of Pi was always there to support me, and they worked to make me get a better score, but I as a student also had to put in the work. They definitely care about you and they definitely will do stuff to help you out personally and in a group setting, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you to put in the effort. It’s a two way street. Like, if I wanted to work two more hours a week, I probably would have gotten an 800. Peace of Pi has got you like that, but you need to back yourself too. 

In person, I was always scared to raise my hand or ask questions in class. Virtually, I was even more scared because I didn’t know if I wanted to unmute. But honestly, Renan made the class extremely fun. I felt like it wasn’t a group of strangers who I’d never met before, but like, kind of a family in a way. My SAT family! We shared so many laughs, doing math problems and having fun. There was even some healthy competition with some of my friends there. The environment really made math feel fun for the first time. 

In school, I was never top of the class. I was always kinda average, and that was reflected in my initial SAT score. But after really putting in the work with Peace of Pi, my SAT score was one of the top in my class. That score allowed me to show colleges that I am top of the class material, and it helped me a lot for the college admission process. Without a good SAT score, I don’t know what I would have done. I got into McCombs, a school of business which is a top 20 business school in the country. I always wanted to do business and McCombs was my first choice. And with a lot of help from my score,  I got into my first option. I couldn’t be more happy with where my score got me. 

Peace of Pi will literally help you be the best version of yourself! Don’t waste the opportunity that you have because the team will treat you as one of them. This has been the best tutoring or math teaching I’ve ever gotten. I recommend it to every single person that I have a conversation with about the SAT. My brother’s already planning on doing it for next year. My sister’s already planning on doing it for next year. I have a lot of friends in my brother’s grade that are planning on doing it. So, I wish them the best of luck and I know Renan will be there to take care of them.

I started studying for the SAT in October. It was the beginning of my junior year. I was really lost, I could tell that at the very beginning, I didn’t know what I was doing. Khan Academy works for some people, but the truth is that it’s very minimal work. I feel I didn’t really gain much from it. 

My best friend Marta told me that I needed to join Peace of Pi because she did it andwhen she got her score in March, it was a very different story from mine. She was very happy and she told us she got a 1360 and she had been working nonstop. She just told me “I can assure you that if you do this, you’ll be fine, you’ll get the score that you want and it’s worth every penny”.

The fact that you have to send your answers every time we’re doing a problem throughout the class just really kept me engaged. In my classes in high school, I never had to do that. Virtual learning had never been like that for me. I was paying attention, I was learning, I was engaged and it was very cool. And it’s really impressive, the whole system that Peace of Pi has and it clearly works. I’ve always been someone who struggles with math, and I’ve always needed the extra help, so I’m not new with tutoring, but again, this course prep and the system that you have, is so unique. I’ve always been an extremely determined person and I’m a hard worker, which is why it was so frustrating because the SAT is another monster that you need to crack and figure out the code of. It’s not like school. It’s not like regular classes that you’ve taken since  elementary school. It’s completely different. 

So, what I have to say is just because you’re in Peace of Pi, yes, even though it’s an amazing course prep, you need to put in the work. The number you want to see won’t magically appear. You have to do the homeworks that they assign, and you know what you’re doing. So if you’re telling someone to do something, it’s because they should. That’s how I got my score.

I think I learned so much and I think that I also just became better at math, in general, not just for the SAT but in math I just feel more prepared. And again,  the system where you have to send your answer during the class I think it builds a healthy, good competitive environment in my opinion. That just made me not want to get the answer wrong. You don’t want to hear your name. I didn’t want to hear “Mercedes, that’s wrong”.

I went from a 590 to a 710. So a 120 point improvement. Every time I would hear people be like, “Oh, yeah, I got a 700 in math” I would be like, “What? How did you do that?” And I got a 710

The reality is that the SAT does matter a lot, especially in Florida. So, getting that score just made me feel relieved and secure and made me gain my confidence back in a way. I was proud to showcase my score, whereas before I wasn’t. And I just learned a lot. I learned a lot about myself, what I can do, and what I’m capable of. I learned that even though you have to do things that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. You can do things with a smile on your face, you can do your homework with a smile on your face. It doesn’t mean that it has to be this heavy thing on your shoulders. And I continue to tell myself that to this day. Even though it may seem like a lot right now,  in a few months, you’ll look back and you’ll be like, “Wow, I did that” and you’re going to feel so proud.

The first time that I met with Renan, I realized that I was very uninformed about the SAT. A lot of people talk when you’re in high school and you hear stuff from everyone and I thought that you couldn’t super score if you took the SAT more than three times which Renan told me wasn’t true. Rumors like that make you go crazy for no reason. So I would also say, just do your research. Peace of Pi also posts information on Instagram that’s helpful if you’re interested in a school, look at the average SAT scores to give yourself a goal.

My PSAT score wasn’t the best to start with. I started prepping for the SAT Math online by doing training on Khan Academy, but I just wasn’t improving. Actually, I was only getting worse. As I was studying for the SAT, I found that I just wasn’t grasping the concepts well.
I would get my SAT scores back and thought I did alright, nut when I would open the score I would be like, “Oh, I did worse now.” That’s when I knew I needed to get a proper tutor.

I took two SAT‘s before Peace of Pi. I got a 560 on the first one and then a 540. So, I actually did worse the second time. With that score, I knew wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to the university of my choice. I wanted to go to University of Florida, and with that score, I would have no shot going to UF. I also wouldn’t qualify Bright Futures. Overall, my confidence was low. I thought I was just bad at test-taking, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

I performed fine in math classes. I was taking Pre-Calculus when I started taking the SAT. So, I was surprised at the scores I was receiving. I was learning all this stuff in class, but none of popped up on the SAT. I found Peace of Pi through a friend who had the same problem. I saw how hard she was working, and that she was really improving. So I was like, “Okay, this is legit.”

Peace of Pi was extremely helpful. It’s not just an SAT course where they throw random problems at you, it starts you off by assessing your level of math knowledge and then taking you from there. It’s basically a math class, that also helps you in your actual math classes at school, too. That’s what I liked about it. That’s what makes this different from other programs.

The course definitely demanded a lot. You have to work really hard, because if you don’t put in a good amount of work, you’re not going to get the results that you want. The program is really effective if you actually do the work. You have to sit down and commit to it. That’s the only way that it’ll work. That’s the one piece of advice that I would give to another student: just to do your part.

Like most students, before starting the virtual prep, I thought that a lot of people would have their cameras off and it’d be like Zoom school. But I was taken aback by the willingness from students to all have their cameras on, and it really helped make the class feel interactive. Tutors also employed tactics so no one zones out or anything, like calling on students to help explain their answers.

I ended up getting a 730, but I started off at 540. That was my lowest and then I went up to a 730. It’s increased my confidence in math. Now, if I really study something hard, I can get better at it. I felt like I was in such a plateau and felt like I couldn’t get better. So it taught me that I can, that I can improve in math with the proper help. And I no longer suck at the SAT.

I took my first ever PSAT at school and realized that I did not know how to do almost anything on the test. So, I got a 540 – which was 23 total answers incorrect. Having to take math virtually my junior year was an incredible challenge because COVID happened my freshman year and my math foundation was already rocky. I was my own teacher, and I had nobody to ask for help if I didn’t understand a concept. I had no confidence in my ability to learn math, and let alone pass the final exam. I didn’t even know how to factor or simplify radicals. I had no idea how I was going to get a higher math SAT score.

I found Peace of Pi through previous students on Instagram, and after looking through their Instagram, I immediately noticed how well Renan explains concepts and he seemed to have a really fun personality that would make learning more motivating. I also saw the improvements from other kids who had lower scores than me, which gave me hope that I can do it too.

From day 1, Renan and his team were incredibly organized and knew exactly what I needed to learn before we even had our first class. During each class, Renan gave us the perfect balance of pushing us to be our best, and also making sure we have fun. He broke down every concept in multiple ways and would recognize our exact mistakes without seeing our work yet. Renan was able to help me at all hours of the day for any and every question. He fully believed in me, and all of his students, and pushed us to believe in ourselves.

After Peace of Pi, I got a 760 on my first attempt of the SAT, which is a 220 point improvement and puts me in the 99th percentile nationally!

I never would have imagined that I could achieve such a high score. From getting a 760, I qualified for the Bright Futures Scholarship, received a Math Excellence Award from my school, and got only one question wrong on my final exam. 

Taking this prep course instilled in me confidence that I can do anything I set my mind to, made me start to love math, and also left me with an incredible foundation of math knowledge that I will take with me through college.

I can’t thank Renan enough for believing in me and working very hard to make sure I had exactly what I needed to succeed. Renan is the best teacher I’ve ever had, and I would highly recommend Peace of Pi to anyone looking to improve on their SAT, and even math in general.

My name is Natalie and I discovered Peace of Pi at the end of my junior year. The SAT was super important for me. So, I always knew that the SAT was the fighting chance that I would get to be able to apply to top 20 or top 30 schools.

Thankfully with the help of POP, I was able to apply to good schools because I have such a high SAT score with good essays and good extracurriculars,  I have a shot at getting in. I ended up getting a 1470 total. 450 to 760. A 310-point improvement. Now, I’m doing IB math and it’s mixed in math. It’s mixing calculus, mixing stats. I don’t even study for my quizzes because half of the stuff on there is literally stuff that POP taught me.

I did the course twice. The first time I did it, I went up 200 points. I knew that with a 650 out of 800 in the math, there was much room for improvement. So, I decided to do POP again. In the beginning, I had a huge plateau, I wasn’t improving. If this helps others, I do want to say that if you take enough practice tests, you will go up. And I promise, I took so many practice tests. I cannot explain how many practice tests I took, but, it obviously paid off.

 I took the summer course and there’s so much free time and it keeps you kind of engaged. During the summer, my brain kind of just dies out a bit because we’re not in school, but since you’re not in school, I saw math in a fun way. You’re getting some learning in. It’s helping you for later and it’s just two hours of your day. With POP, every penny is well spent. They’re so hardworking and all motivated me to do what I did.

I would tell future students to do their work. Do your work, do your homework, and do your practice tests. Try to try to enjoy them. You have to want to improve. That’s what’s going to make you want to sit down and practice. And it’s kind of fun. You see with your friends who’s doing better. You don’t have to look at it as a competition, but it’s just to see how much you can improve. Every time you sit down and take one, think ‘How much can I improve from my last one?’ It was something I looked forward to. 

Make sure to not miss class and get behind. That’s a big one. Every lecture that I did with POP was helpful. If you’re missing class, I promise you, you don’t know what’s going to be on the test. There are so many topics and POP covers every single thing that they potentially ask you. So if you miss one class, you can miss two questions on the next SAT. 

I enjoyed every lecture. It was a family within the class. I loved it. Being virtual was, I think, the best part of it. One of the tutorings I did before was in person and, honestly,  the hassle of getting up and going is not enjoyable. Having POP from right at home is so convenient. I think it’s better honestly. 

Peace of Pi caters to everyone, if you’re bad at math, there’s someone for you. If you’re good at math, there’s someone for you. Even take it twice. If you can, please do Peace of Pi twice. It refreshes everything. You remember everything better. It’s honestly the formula to get whatever score you want. 

 I’m Melanie Llaneras. I’m in 11th grade and I go to Terra Environmental Research Institute. I felt that I had lost a lot of my prior math skills when it came to what the SAT math section covers and I didn’t feel ready to face the math that I had taken even before I started high school and that’s what drew me to Peace of Pi.

I had only taken a PSAT once and I started taking AP Calc, which is already a college level class. So, I was not ready to face an SAT with what I had learned before high school. I did very mediocre on the PSAT, I got a 540 on math. I was slacking in math that you’d think that I’d be good at because I was in a higher level math. I’d be faced with these math problems and didn’t know how to attack each problem at all.

I was aiming for schools that wouldn’t even look at me if I had that type of score and I’m also aiming for Bright Futures. I wouldn’t have been able to reach that with that score. When I was a sophomore, there was a junior in my class that kept talking about how your program was helping her reach the math score that she wanted. I needed a way to reach the score that I wanted. I also needed to improve on my reading, but take it one step at a time.

POP had explained to me, before I joined, that the math on the SAT is very mechanical and achieving a good score was very reachable through practice and different steps that they were going to teach us. And I knew that that’s what I needed, like a good and organized program. The program is so worth the money. The workload is heavy. It was tough. It was like having another class. I have a lot of homework and softball and everything. You’ll for sure be able to reach a desired score, and it takes a lot of practice and paying attention, but what can come out of that compensates for all the hard work that is involved in the program. 

I was very hesitant about it because I like things to be individual and I’m not the biggest fan of virtual classes so I expected it to be effective but not as effective as it would have been if it were different. After experiencing the virtual group learning environment, I don’t think there was any better way to teach the SAT classes. I mean this is a busy program and also the way the chats work, it’s very effective and you keep track of everything but despite there being other students, I knew every answer. I wasn’t afraid to ask questions and it was a comfortable environment. It was very effective despite it being a group program.

This was my first SAT and in comparison to the PSAT, which was the only test I had taken, I improved a total of 220 points and I surpassed my goal of 750 by reaching a 760. Although I still want to keep improving my score, this score helped me secure 100% Bright Futures, so I don’t have to pay for any public or state colleges. That’s very beneficial to my family and the score looks good for the colleges that I want to apply to because I want to pursue a math major. If a student plays their part by practicing and paying attention in class, a perfect score or any score near perfect is very achievable.

My name is Gabi Mestre and I’m a senior at Carrollton. I had been studying for the SAT for over a year. My score improved but it hadn’t improved as much as I wanted it to, so I realized I kind of needed a change, so that’s why I wanted to join. 

I had taken the SAT twice. I mean, my score was good enough. I just needed some help with math. I had been studying with a different tutor at first, then I was studying on my own and it reached a point where I was getting the same math score every time.

I kinda had forgotten the basics from school. Like a lot of Geometry, especially because of COVID. My math teacher had to leave, so I hadn’t really learned any Geometry. I took Algebra in eighth grade and I had forgotten most of it, so I wanted to refresh, which was helpful.

I was in Calculus Junior year. I would say I was good at math, but more calculus stuff, not the SAT because it’s very different from school. I feel like I couldn’t really see through the SAT tricks, if that makes sense. I feel like the math, it’s not even that it’s hard, but it’s more that they’re trying to trick you, so you really have to know what you’re doing in order to not fall into it. I was being tricked a lot, I would forget a tiny little rule and that would mess up the entire problem.

My score was fine before. I had a 700 in math and I couldn’t really get it up, at all, from there. So, it was kind of weighing down my score because the English was really carrying my score. But then I ended up having a higher math score so it just boosted my score to be over the point that it would help me instead of just being neutral.

I think the Peace of Pi program was really, really good. The lessons were super, super helpful. I liked how we focused on each thing in the class. Topic by topic. And then the homeworks would go with the class so it was helpful. I feel like it’s more similar to going to classes for a subject instead of an SAT tutor tutoring session. I’d experienced other tutoring services and it was more, just doing practice tests and then looking over those. But with this you can really zone in on subjects and then as it gets closer to the test, you can know your weak spots. Like at the end I knew I still had to study more Trig and Geometry. I told Peace of Pi and they gave me all the practice tests focusing on those subjects.

The work was manageable. I mean, it was a lot, but I knew it was going to be a lot. I also did the Summer prep so it really was intensive, but Renan told me at the beginning it was a lot. And I was like, ‘okay, it’s fine’ because I really wanted to get my score up. So if you’re committed, it’s fine. 

I thought the virtual group was going to be more like virtual school because usually in virtual school you can kind of just listen along, but in this one you really have to focus since you have to send in your answer for every single question. You couldn’t really get sidetracked. Which is good. That was really helpful because if not I feel like I would have just zoned out and not done every single problem. 

I had a 1490, and I started with a 1430. My math improved by 60 points from a 700 to a 760. I think the tutoring really helped me. I applied Early Decision to Emory University in Atlanta and I got in. I’m going there to study pre-law which is good. That’s the goal.